


Father's Day

by RensKnight18



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Adoption, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Mention of pregnancy, with a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26319187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RensKnight18/pseuds/RensKnight18
Summary: When you’re young, getting pregnant seems so simple. Have unprotected sex, get pregnant - how much easier could it be? Yet it’s not that way. It’s not that way at all. For Rey and Ben at least it’s been days, weeks and years of hope sprinkled with plenty of heartache.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 10
Kudos: 74





	Father's Day

**Author's Note:**

> It's Father's Day here in AUS and I've had this little fic written for quite some time now, so feels like the perfect day to upload it. Please note I've never adopted and know nothing about it (and yes I'm sure it doesn't work this way), but that's what fic is - so please just take this as it is, a fluffy little Fathers' Day fic.

6 years, one month and 13 days. Rey hasn’t marked it on the calendar, but she doesn’t need to. She knows the numbers by heart.

6 years, one month and 13 days.

Has she finally resigned herself to the fact it may never happen? No. That’s simply not an option because it means far too much. Far too much to _both_ of them.

And why should Ben, with his sweet and gentle soul and his wonderfully caring heart be denied fatherhood? It’s not right. Not when there are other couples who’ve slept together once and got pregnant straight away. Why are _they_ the ones having so much trouble?

When you’re young getting pregnant seems so simple. Have unprotected sex, get pregnant, how much easier could it be? Yet it’s not that way. It’s not that way at all.

For Rey and Ben at least it’s been days, weeks and _years_ of hope sprinkled with plenty of heartache.

There were days Rey couldn’t even get out of bed.

Nights Ben stopped socialising with his mates because they all had kids and wanted to talk about them, and he couldn’t bear it.

And nights Rey cried herself to sleep in his arms, safe yet so unsure of their future.

She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t pondered their future and what it would hold. It seemed to be all she did these days. Had she married the wrong man, a man who couldn’t give her what she so desperately wanted? Or was _she_ the problem? Was it her eggs or her cycle, or was it something more? Well, now they knew the answers.

She chides herself immediately - because she married the man she _loves_ and that’s the only man she ever _wanted to_ marry. And because none of this is Ben’s fault, nor is it hers. It’s simply ‘one of those things’.

They’d both been tested in the end, but this clearly wasn’t something medical. It was something else, yet they had no idea what. And it’s not that they hadn’t been having enough sex either. They have plenty of sex, on the regular, at all times of the day. Sometimes maybe too much!

They’d been to every specialist imaginable, done all the right things at all the right times so it really has them baffled as to why this isn’t happening the way it should.

Their other married friends had all conceived with no real trouble, at least that they knew about, even some of their unwed friends had children, so why were they the ones being punished?

Had they done something wrong? Upset someone upstairs? Gained bad karma somehow?

It’s just not fair. _None of this_ is fair.

Adoption had never been their first option, more like their last, but for now it’s their only hope. The papers are all signed, the arrangements are in place – the only thing missing now is a baby.

So when a call comes at precisely 6.15pm on Father’s Day, from a number long ingrained in her phone contacts, Rey’s heart skips a beat.

She answers, hands shaking with nerves, the news not even sinking in at first. Can this _finally_ be happening? Will they _finally_ be parents after all this time?

Yes. They will. They _finally_ will. Because there’s a newborn baby girl, not even a week old, and she’s waiting for parents-

Waiting just for them.

~~~

Rey decides not to tell Ben just yet, because she’s conjured up a wicked plan. But being the perceptive husband he is, he senses a definite shift in her mood.

His wife is rather handsy this evening – clingy even - definitely things she hasn’t been of late and it has him wondering what’s going on.

‘Had a good day, babe?’ he asks, sinking into bed as she rolls into his side, her arms slipping around his middle.

Rey adores cuddling this man. He’s her own, personal giant teddy bear, so soft and so warm and he always smells _devine._

She feels safe. Secure. Loved beyond understanding.

‘Nothing out of the ordinary’ she lies, bursting to tell him the news. And she could – she _could_ – and she probably should, but now she’s thought of a way to surprise him she only hopes he’s not angry when he finds out.

As much as this feels wrong, it also feels right, and she can’t wait to see the look on his face when he finds out the truth-

That he’s a father now.

~~

The first sign this is no ordinary day is the tell-tale pitch of a babies’ cry, emanating from the very apartment door Ben’s now opening. It’s been a crazy, hectic day at work, but a baby in their apartment is not something he’d forget. It wasn’t there yesterday, so why is it there today?

He double checks the number on the door and yes, number 26. Definitely the right apartment.

Venturing inside he lays his work satchel on the table, jacket laid neatly over the back of the chair. The table is messier than normal, his wife nowhere to be found - until he kicks off his shoes and shuffles his way down the hallway and over to the crib by the window.

They’d set up a nursery long ago and neither of them had the heart to change it.

Rey beams at the sight of him. ‘Hi hon. Good day?’ she greets him somewhat hastily, lifting the tiny bundle from the crib into her arms.

‘Uh – yeah. Was…ok’ Ben almost lost for words because he’s never seen a sight so beautiful.

Sure he’s seen his wife hold newborns before, but it feels like a lifetime ago. She just hadn’t wanted to in recent years, had almost steered cleared of children altogether, and he completely understood why-

Because he’d done the same.

So the sight of her holding the teensy, wailing bundle with such care and attention is more than his heart can take.

He smiles, making his way over to the two of them to plant a kiss on his frazzled wife’s forehead. It’s been quite a day for her also, if her looks are anything to go by. Still, no matter how frazzled she’s always so beautiful.

‘And who is this?’ He attempts to get a closer peek, but Rey retreats away from him and to the feeding chair, sinking against the soft, plush cushions.

‘This little one’ she sighs, baby now over her shoulder, hand moving on her tiny back in soft circles around and around. ‘is Abigail’

‘Abigail’ Ben repeats, surprised to hear the name they’ve uttered in this household more than once.

Abigail currently sits atop their chosen list of baby girl names. It means _Father’s joy_ and _beautiful_ , of which this little girl is no doubt both. If they ever have a child of their own-

‘Abigail has a healthy set of lungs, I see’

‘She sure does’

‘And who does this beautiful little girl belong to?’ Ben stares at her eyes over Rey’s shoulder, so wide and inquisitive for someone so young. He wonders why any parent in their right mind would leave a baby so young, even for a while.

‘You remember Paige? Rose’s sister?’

‘Paige’ Ben doesn’t remember her exactly, but he’s sure he’s heard her name mentioned a couple of times. ‘I think so’

Rey quickly tries to deflect his attention elsewhere. She just needs to hold out until tomorrow morning and then she can tell him for real. Still, it’s not easy to lie to her husband.

‘Would you mind grabbing her bottle from the fridge? I think she’s hungry. You’ll need to throw it in the bottle warmer though, but I can talk you through it’

‘Uh, sure’

Ben notices half the baby things they’d collected over the years now spread all over their kitchen counter. The bottle warmer for one and several pacifiers. Bibs even. He hasn’t seen this stuff since it was hidden away in their bedroom closet, and at times he wondered if they’d ever have any use for them at all.

Seems they do for now at least.

He follows instructions and manages to get the bottle warmed, returning to take a seat beside Rey as she tries her best to keep up the frazzled mother vibe. She wants Ben to take Abigail, so she can see how she looks when he cradles her in his arms.

‘She won’t stop crying. I don’t know what to do’

‘Here’ He extends his arms, reaching for the bundle she’s holding. ‘Mind if I try?’

‘You think I’m not up to it?’

He’d never think that. She’ll be an amazing Mom. He always knew she would be.

‘Not at all. Like you said, she’s probably just hungry. I just thought maybe I’d give you a rest. Why don’t I take her while you put your feet up for a while? You look like you could use the break’

She could. She really could.

‘You’re a gem, you know that’

‘I try’

Rey hands Ben the baby and he cradles her in his arms. Rey could jump and scream right now, give the whole game away at the sight of her husband holding their newborn daughter, but she does her best to remain composed.

Taking a seat opposite, she watches her husband try to get Abigail to take the bottle. She seems disinterested at first but with a few gentle prompts she latches on, the sweet sounds of a baby sucking filling the small space.

This is their daughter now and as much as she wants to breastfeed her little one, that would be a dead giveaway.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow she can.

‘oHow loing haHow long has she been here?’

‘About 4 hours now’

‘4 _hours?_ ’ Ben stares down at the perfect little bundle in his arms. If this was their little girl, he can’t imagine he’d ever let her out of his sight for that long. Not even for a second. Whatever Paige had to do, it must truly be important.

‘She seems to like you’ Rey smiles, sitting back to enjoy the view. Ben looks so large and the baby so, _so tiny_. She’d love to snap a photo, save this moment for posterity, but she’s trying her best to play it cool.

She wonders now why she came up with this crazy idea in the first place? Why she didn’t let Ben come to the hospital to collect their child the way they’d always planned? But it’s too late for regrets now.

It seemed like such a good idea at the time…

There _will_ be a slight change to her plan though. She was going to wait until tomorrow, see how the night played out, but she knows that won’t change anything. Perfect baby or restless baby, this is their child now and she needs Ben to know that-

Sooner rather than later. She owes him that much.

~~

‘It’s not fair, is it?’ Ben’s leaning over the side of the crib when Rey joins him. He’s been in that room for a while now after placing Abigail down for her nap and she’d come to see what was taking so long. He’d just been staring at her, like she was his whole world-

If only he knew.

‘I know’

‘She’s so…tiny, babe. So fragile. Like she’ll break if you hold her the wrong way’

‘I know’

‘I just wish…’ He trails off, but he doesn’t need to finish what he was going to say, and Rey can’t hold out one second longer.

‘She’s so pretty, isn’t she?’ She reaches for Ben’s hand, squeezing it tight. ‘Paige is really lucky’

‘Careful, hon’ he chuckles, softly. He turns to run a hand through her hair, tucking strays behind her ear. ‘Don’t get too attached. We have to give her back after all’

Rey takes a deep breath, hoping he won’t be mad. ‘What if…we didn’t have to?’

Ben pulls back, brow creasing. He swallows and shakes his head slowly as he speaks. ‘I’m not following. We can’t keep her, babe. As much as we might want to’

‘But…what if we could?’

‘Honey, you’re making no sense’

‘What if…’ Rey leans over and picks a sleeping Abigail up, turning to her husband. This is the moment she’s waited so long for. The moment he finds out he’s a father. ‘We _could_ keep her’

He simply stares back at her, still unsure what she’s getting at. ‘I don’t understand‘

‘I’m sorry I kept this from you and please don’t hate me, but’ Rey hands the baby to Ben and he cradles her close to his chest, stroking the soft skin on her little cheek. ‘She’s ours, Ben. She’s really ours’

He stares back at her, then looks to the sleeping Abigail then back to Rey again. And it doesn’t take long for tears to well is his eyes.

‘Abigail is _our_ daughter now’

‘Are you saying…’

Rey nods, slowly, a smile creeping across her face. She takes a step closer, rubbing a reassuring hand down his bicep, taking a peek at the now sleeping child. ‘The hospital called while you were at work. I wanted to tell you, but I think this moment is worth it. Seeing you hold her is…’ She trails off now, no longer able to hold back the tears that flow.

‘She’s ours, Ben. She’s our daughter now’

‘But-‘ Ben’s lost for words. He’d never expected this in a million years. He knew it was a possibility, but he’d pushed it so far down, careful not to ever get his hopes to high, and now-

He has a daughter. _They_ have a daughter.

‘I’m sorry you weren’t there, but I had the surprise all planned and looking back now I’m sorry I didn’t-‘

Ben cuts her off with a kiss, the three of them now huddled together. No matter what she’s done or why she did it, all that matters is they are a family now.

‘Shh. None of that matters now’

‘You’re right. None of that matters now we have her’

‘Nothing’

And now, Rey finally gets the chance to say the words she’s dreamed about for so long. Words she never thought she’d get to say.

‘Happy Father’s Day, baby’

Those words, words Ben thought he’d _never_ hear, are music to his ears. He could want for nothing more. It truly feels like a dream, he and Rey with a little family of their own now, at long last...

And family – in whatever form it comes - _is everything_.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos always appreciated x


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